Fans Reacts To Real Madrid And Man City’s Tense Champions League Clash

In a thrilling clash between two football giants, Real Madrid, and Manchester City battled to a hard-fought 1-1 draw in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals on Tuesday night.

The game was defined by a pair of spectacular goals from Vinicius Junior and Kevin De Bruyne, which electrified the crowd at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Manchester City began the game with an air of authority, dominating possession and stifling Real Madrid’s attacking threat.

However, the opening half-hour was largely uneventful, with both teams struggling to create clear-cut chances. Some spectators were quick to suggest that City’s dominance was a reflection of Madrid’s inferiority, but such claims proved premature.

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Real Madrid gradually grew into the game and began to pose a threat on the counter-attack. The breakthrough came in the 60th minute, when Vinicius Junior unleashed a stunning strike into the top corner, leaving Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson with no chance.

However, City responded swiftly, with Kevin De Bruyne scoring a superb equalizer just six minutes later, cutting inside and curling a left-footed shot beyond the reach of Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

The game remained finely balanced for the remainder of the match, with both teams pressing for a winner. However, neither side was able to find a breakthrough, and the game ended in a draw.

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Vinicius lit the fuse of the crowd and the tie with a ripsnorting drive to break the deadlock. Eduardo Camavinga had floated through City’s revered press before setting the Brazilian on his way, becoming the youngest player to provide a Champions League assist in the last 20 years.

When fretting over Vinicius ahead of the contest, Pep Guardiola warned that it “seems he does something every time he touches the ball”. On 36 minutes, that something was some strike.

Carlo Ancelotti described this iteration of Manchester City as “a more complete team compared to last year” but his Madrid side demonstrated exactly how to chisel out an advantage in the first half.

If Madrid had bided their time in the opening exchanges, hanging on the ropes to assess City’s approach before spotting a chink in their defence, the reigning European champions came out swinging with a swagger in the second half.

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Yet, in a reversal of roles, City struck back just as Madrid were in the ascendancy. De Bruyne let rip with a venomous swerving crack of the right boot halfway through the second half.

Unsurprisingly, it was De Bruyne that stepped up for City just as they needed it most. The long-serving Belgian found the net at this stage at this grand venue in the last 16 of the 2020 Champions League, carving out a spot for himself in the history books of the competition.

The stakes were so high that even the unflappable Ancelotti raised his voice as well as an eyebrow.

More nerves are set to be shredded with the tie delicately poised at 1-1 heading into the second leg at the Etihad next Wednesday.

Below are some of the reactions from fans on Twitter culled by Infoexpert24: